MUSIC.

Iler musical' press, as well as the literary press; groans incessantly; and immmerable reams of paper are daily blackened with masses of demi- semiquavers,. which serve little purpose but that of straining the throats of our ladyveealists and dislocating-the fingers of our

t aspirng,pitunforte-

The songs fombishiorable foreign operasareasfan- tasiastle eiedfor the evening ammentaftimtmaatam,

" of the light-fingered' gentry who have converted the pianoforte into a gymnastic machine ; and yet these are the things which load the counters of the pubIrchers in Regent Street and Bond Street, along with mountains oP namhypamby English' ballads, waltzes, quadrilles, and polkas..

Of the new vocal music published at present, the best kind consists, of

the songs and-thallitdeof the Germtur school, when these are selected"with taste, and joined to, appropriate Eliglish- poetry. For several publications of this kind we are indebted to Mr. Bartholomew, the friend of Mendels- sohn and author of the only authorized versions of that lamented composer's greaffist.eacred- works. One of them is entitled Gems of Sacred Melody, and it character may be estimated from its contents. It contains the, celebrated " Ave Maria" and " 0 saIntaris heads," of Cherttbini;

" We sat by Babers' waters,"' by ;_ " Resignation," by Von. Rode;

Heart, for repose art-thou pining,"- by Cursehmann ; and "The Prayer orilezekiali," by Lindpaititner. Alt these are fine specimens of expressive melody ; and the English words are adapted to the airs with taste and jjitdgment Mr. Bartholomew has also given. us, under the title of " Repertnire do Mademoiselle de Treffz," a selection of the pretty things why that favourite singer has rendered so popular, adapted. to. English verses with spirit and felicity. A little Italian duet, " L' Invite su- la Laguna," by Pergetti„, has pleased usmuch. It flows grarrefullyrin the style of a Venetian barcarole, and, being very simple, requires only taste and expression on the part of the singers.

Among a multitude of insipid English songs, we find a ballad by Charles Ralaman, entitled.," 0,, if thou wert urine own, love," which does the composer credit The melody is not commonplace, while it flews easily, and is free from those Teutonic crudities-which injured some of

Mr: Salaman's preview productions.

The instrumental trifles oft the day, when they proceed from the pen of a master—for a master-now-a-days finds the production of trifles the best

employment of his. time—are.not without interest to the musician.. A waltz by Spohr, lately published; called " Mon sejour a Marienbad," is a trifle onlY in its form. From its-animated and. joyous expression it seems

to-he'a reminiseenee-of pleasant hours. It is considerably extended ; con- sisting of an introduction, the wakm itself,with its two trios,. and a. finale. It by no means easy, andlitis a good deal of that -chmmatie harmony and-modulation which we-fied_in all.Spohes music; but its difficulties may be overcome with a little perseverance by any player of reasom- abk, skill. Belonging to the same category are Mr.. Osborne's two

elegant pieces, " La Pluie de Pules," and " La Nouvelle Pluie de Perim," which. have. obtained great vogue and are already known to many of our musical readers; and Mr: Benedict's newly-published piece

called " The Snow-drop,!'—a graceful composition,. full of melody, and an. admirable-study for acquiring that, legato touch, that power of singing upon the instrument, whiellis the finest quality of a pianist. One class of publication, of a more substantialoharacter, and calculated for a- distinct and increasing description of amateurs, is Carried on to a

considerable extent,r—reprints of standard_ works of vocal harmony, chiefly snared; in which the load is certainly taken by Mr. Novelle ; some of 'whose remarkably- cheap; correct, and well-got-up, editions of Randers

Oratorios; we have already had occasion to notice. These publications he continues to issue in a serial form : they include the principal works of Handel} Haydres- Creation, Mendelssohn's. Paul; the Masses of Haydn; Mozart, and Beethoven, with English words, and other works of this class i and will enable the amateur at amen expense to form a library of classibal saered:musie. Tiro periodicals, published by the same house , are also worthy of' notice. One of them, the Musical Times, has existed' for several years, and has been little more than, a vehicle for musical ad-

vertisement; but it has recently acquired greater importance : in each of

the minibus for the last and the present month we find an able and- inte- resting literary contribution by Mr. Holmes, the accomplished biographer of-Mozart, with several vocal compositions of the highest class, and all for

the price of three-halfpence.. The other, " Novelle's Part-Song Book," of which the first number has appeared, is on a larger scale, and is in- tended part-songs, specimens, of the Madrigalian age, anffipart‘songs and choruses from the German. The plan is good, but thuenumber is not a favourable specimen of its execution ; some of the

pieces being trivial. The proprietors of' this publication_ have announced their intention to expend 100/. per annum in prizes for the beat part, songs upon given words; -which will bring upon them loads of mediocrity: they had much better fill their miscellany with the gems of the old school; particularly the-English school, which. is rich in vocal harmony. 1 "Davidson's Illustrated- Libretto Books "—Medea in Corinto and Ii Franco Arcicro--are' the libretti of the operas which have been produced

at the opening of the two Italian hauses.this season, and form a continua- tion of the series which' we noticed last year. They are brought out in the manner we have already described; with the Italian text,. and an English version so constructed in regard to rhythm and accent that the

words may be sung with the music.. The melodies of-the principal pieces are given in notes; whereby the opera-frequenter is enabled to follow the music as well as the wordis—a very useful novelty. These books, Valiiih they are' cheaper than those issued from the theatres, are superior in every respect ; and we are glad to see that the publisher has sufficient encouragement to continue the series.